Waste disposal device



L. C. ROBEDE IE WASTE DISPOSAL DEVICE Aug. 4,, 1959 Filed June 30, 1955 6 86 Fig.2

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 5

Lee 6. Robedee INVENTOR.

Aug. 4, 1959 L. c. ROBEDEE I WASTE DISPOSAL DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 50, 1955 Fig. 3

. w m M em A W @m m Wu. 0 R W .8 Wu 6 L M0 .2 2 2 3% 3 a I fi 6 v 6\ N 9 w /7/ .\M l2 Q 7 B sv/o/o w E United States Patent G "ce WASTE DISPOSAL DEVICE Application June 30, 1955, Serial No. 519,138-

1 Claim. (Cl- ,23--'2 52) This invention relates generally to waste disposal units and is more particularly concerned with a waste disposalunit which includes a disposal chute-portion in communication with a heated disposal hopper operative to contain and dispose a disintegrating chemical whereby refuse is readily andexpeditiously processed therein.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention in conformance with that set forth above .is to provide apparatus incorporating a convenient system of dissolving material such as sanitary napkins, surgical dressings, paper, etc., through the application of a disintegrating chemical such as heated sulphuricacid in a convenient transparent retort whereby the material is readily and sanitarily dissolved and disposed of.

These togethen with other objects .and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside'in the details of construction and operationas more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference-being had :to the accompanying drawings forming apart hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the other cabinet portion of the novel disposal unit;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1 with portions broken away for clarity;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view with portions broken away and in section for clarity;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4--4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 4 with portions broken away for clarity;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is an enlargment of a portion of the sectional view of Figure 2.

Indicated generally at 10 is the novel waste disposal unit which includes a cabinet member 12, a disposal chute and hopper assembly 14, a disintegrating chemical supply reservoir 16, and a heat control assembly indicated generally at 18.

The cabinet 12 comprises a bottom member 20, side walls 22 and 24, a top member 26, a back wall member 28, and a front or forward wall portion 30. The cabinet may be conveniently formed in any suitably manner, and may include lower structural elements such as lower angle members 32 which define the bottom member, and which have extending upwardly therefrom at the corner intersections thereof suitable corner angle members 34, which have extending therebetween at the upper ends thereof suitable top frame members 36 which may also be structural angle members, see for example Figure 3. An additional vertically extending reinforcing member 38, see Figure 3, extends between the angle members 32 and 36 for defining an access door portion, which includes a door element 40 secured by means of suitable hinges 42 on a corner frame element 34 which is respectively parallel to the member 38, said door element 40 including a suitable latch structure indicated generally 2,898,198 Patented Aug. 4, 1959 at 44, and having therein an access window 46, of any suitable character, through which the disintegrating fluid reservoir may be observed.

The cabinet may be made of any suitable chemical resistant material such as stainless steel, porcelainized material, -etc., the purpose of which being to resist the chemical disintegrating material as well as providing a pleasing and sanitary appearing cabinet.

The top member 26 includes therein the suitable aperture portion 48 which has secured therein in any suitable manner the top end portion of a disposal conduit 50 which has access to the upper end thereof controlled by a spring urged cover element 52 which includes on the undersurface portion thereof secured in any suitable manner a sealing gasket element 54 for preventing fumes from the disposal hopper to be subsequently described from passing thereby, said cover element being hingedly secured at one of its edges, see Figure 6, by means of suitable spring urged spring assemblies indicated generally at 56.

A disposal hopper ofglass or any suitable transparent material is indicated generally at 58 which includes converging side wall portions 60 and 62 connected by end wall portions 64 and 66, the side and end walls being connected to an integral top member 68, and an integral lbottom member 70.

The top member 68 includes an integral collar portion 72 which extends Within the lower end portion of ti e disposal conduit 50, there being a suitable sealing gasket 74 interposed therebetween. The top member 68 has extending therethrough the lower end portion of a suitable disintegrating chemical conduit line 76, there being suitable sealing washers 78 surrounding said lower end portion, the conduit 76 having interposed therein a suitable control valve 80, and further being in'communication with a transparent disintegrating chemical reservoir 82 Iwhich may be of glass or any other suitable material for containing sulphuric acid, or any other suitable disintegrating chemical, said reservoir having an upper filler aperture portion 84 which is controlled by a suitable filler cap 86 in the top member 26 of the cabinet, said reservoir being supported on the underside of the top member 26 by means of suitable strap elements 83 which extend therearound. Disintegrating chemical con tained within the reservoir 82 is admitted into the hopper 58 by means of the control valve Stl, the level of the disintegrating chemical may be observed through the window portion 46 and the supply may be replenished by means of the filler cap 86, while the material to be destroyed may be inserted in the disposal conduit 59 after pivoting the cover element 52 on the spring urged hinge assembly 56, after which the cover element is urged into sealing engagement about the aperture portion 48 of the cover member 26, and the material to be disintegrated and disposed of will be contained within the hopper 58 in the disintegrating chemical solution contained therein. As previously mentioned the hopper 58 is transparent and accordingly the access door 40 may be pivoted in order that the hopper 58 may be observed as to whether or not the contents contained therein have been completely destroyed and disintegrated.

The bottom member 70 of the hopper 58 includes Within the hopper or inner portion of the hopper converging wall portions which comprise angularly related surfaces 90, 92 and 94, see Figure 4, which converge to a sump portion 96, said hopper containing thereat a suitable aperture portion 98 in communication with an outlet conduit 100 in communication with a control valve 102 which is in communication with a conduit 104 connected to a sewage line (not shown). Thus after the material has been properly disintegrated the valve 102 may be opened whereby the chemical and disintegrated material may be drained off and thereafter after the hopper has been properly flushed out a new supply of disintegrating chemical may be provided therein by means of the control valve 80.

The bottom member 70 includes a pair of downwardly extending relatively parallel rib portions 106 and 108 which are received within a pair of oppositely disposed upwardly extending flange portions 110 and 112 of an upwardly opening recess element 114, there being a suitable sealing material 116 being interposed between the flange portions 110 and 112 and the bottom member '70 of the hopper, the recess member 114 including suitable end members 118 and 120 which are engaged by the bottom member 70 of the hopper 58, said recess member 114 including a bottom member 122, suitable support angle elements 124 being secured between the flanges 110 and 112 in the bottom member 20 of the cabinet, said recess member 114 containing therein an electric thermostatically controlled heating coil 126.

The heating coil 126 is connected to a suitable electrical conductor 128, see Figure 4, which extends through the end wall 118 of the recess member 114, said conductor 128 being connected to a suitable switch and thermostatic control element 130 which is connected to a conductor 132 extending out of the cabinet, see Figure 3, to a suitable source of electrical energy (not shown). Although it has been shown that heating has been done by means of an electrical heating element, it is believed readily apparent that gas or any other suitable medium may be utilized. The location of the heating element 126 in underlying relationship to the hopper 58 provides a suitable source for heating the disintegrating chemical contained in the hopper whereby the disintegration of material entering the hopper through the disposal chute is speeded up by the application of such heat.

Various positional directional terms such as front, top, bottom, etc., utilized herein have only a relative connotation to aid in describing the device and are not intended to require any particular orientation with respect to any external elements.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes 'will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A waste treating and disposal unit comprising a disposal chute, a disposal hopper at the bottom of said chute, a gravity feed disintegrating chemical supply reservoir elevated above and in communication with said hopper, control means between said reservoir and hopper controlling the amount of disintegrating chemical contained therein, said hopper including a downwardly inclined bottom sump portion therein, a controlled outlet to which said sump portion inclines in communication therewith for directing dissolved refuse therefrom to a sewage outlet, and a controlled heat source in communication with said hopper for increasing the chemical reaction between a disintegrating chemical and the refuse contained in said hopper, including a recessed member below said bottom closed thereby and having a heating element enclosed therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 307,220 Peters Oct. 28, 1884 550,035 Wheeler Nov. 19, 1895 662,403 Edson Nov. 27, 1900 707,566 Edson Aug. 26, 1902 709,836 Wheelwright Sept. 23, 1902 1,197,067 Schieren Sept. 5, 1916 1,432,740 Le Blane Oct. 24, 1922 2,015,566 Lowry Sept. 24, 1935 2,377,435 McKee June 5, 1945 2,593,455 James Apr. 22, 1952 iumfkni 

